Saura grapplers begin season

South Stokes Ricky Gonzales went 3-0 on Saturday to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Harriett Amos | For The Stokes News

Steven Fatz is 4-1 after Saturday’s quad match at Orange High School.

Harriett Amos | For The Stokes News

After coming off a Western Piedmont Athletic 2A tri-conference championship last season with North Surry and Surry Central, the Sauras moved back to the Northwest 1A with hopes of competing for that allusive title again. South Stokes began their season 1-4 with five matches against stout opponents in a tri-meet at Glenn on Thursday and a quad team tournament at Orange High School on Saturday.

“This time of the year it’s about getting better within themselves,” said Saura coach Chad Amos. “I have been really pleased with the team’s effort. We were aggressive and had to throw some young guys to the wolves because of numbers. We have some stuff to work on like working from the bottom, but I was happy after last week.”

Sophomore Kaleb Mitchell was the only player to go undefeated last week with a 5-0 record in the 152lb weight class. He recorded all five wins by pin falls. He beat Glenn’s Silfredo Hernandez, West Davidson’s Chevy Davis, North Davidson’s Nicolas Wright, Sanderson’s Arsalan Momand, and Orange’s Korbin Nevius.

Two team members have started the season with only one loss. Steven Fatz, wrestling at 160 and 170 weight classes, is 4-1 with four pins and a loss to Orange’s Avery Jenkins. The other was Cooper Ross (3-1) with wins over Diego Matey (Sanders), Cameron Fishel (North Davidson), and Caleb Prevette (West Davidson). His only loss was to Glenn’s Haylen Sherman in a 3-2 decision.

Rickey Gonzalez started the season 0-2 on Thursday, but bounced back with three wins on Saturday. Jackson Boles is also 3-2 on the year after losing to matches by a close decision. Freshman Cody Lawson is also 3-2 with wins over Brendon Stow (Sanders), Jacon Alley (North Davidson), and a forfeit against West Davidson.

Team scores for the Sauras on Thursday were West Davidson 48-29 and Glenn 50-21. On Saturday South Stokes won their first match of the year with a 54-18 win over Sanderson, but loss to Orange 67-9 and a close match to North Davidson 42-40.

The Sauras will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 29 when they travel to Western Guilford for a tri-match Hornets and Greensboro-Smith. The matches begin at 6 p.m.

Robert Money can be reached at 336-749-1193.

Sophomore Kaleb Mitchell has started the season 5-0 for the Sauras.

https://www.thestokesnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Kaleb-Mitchell-vs.-Glenn2.jpgSophomore Kaleb Mitchell has started the season 5-0 for the Sauras. Harriett Amos | For The Stokes News

South Stokes Ricky Gonzales went 3-0 on Saturday to improve to 3-2 on the season.

https://www.thestokesnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Ricky-Gonzalez-vs-Glenn.jpgSouth Stokes Ricky Gonzales went 3-0 on Saturday to improve to 3-2 on the season. Harriett Amos | For The Stokes News

Steven Fatz is 4-1 after Saturday’s quad match at Orange High School.

https://www.thestokesnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Steven-Fatz-vs.-Glenn.jpgSteven Fatz is 4-1 after Saturday’s quad match at Orange High School. Harriett Amos | For The Stokes News